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Sony Cuts Ties With Ukrainian Indie Ternox, Removes Its PlayStation Store Listings

An unexplained termination that threatens a highly rated Steam hit exposes opaque PlayStation enforcement that can hurt small developers.

Overview

  • Ternox said Sony unilaterally terminated its PlayStation developer and publisher agreement without giving a reason, leaving the studio without a PlayStation partner.
  • The developer reports that its existing PlayStation Store listings will be delisted after August 23 and that the planned PS5 port of Stonks-9800 has been cancelled.
  • Stonks-9800 has strong player response on Steam, with over 1,000 reviews and roughly 97% positive ratings, which raised expectations for a wider PlayStation audience.
  • Ternox says PlayStation Support has not responded to its appeals, a lack of communication that threatens the studio’s revenue, discoverability, and planned physical PS5 release.
  • The move comes during Sony’s broader 2026 push to purge low-quality shovelware from the PS Store, a policy praised for quality control but warned to risk collateral damage to legitimate indie teams.